"What do you mean?" I asked nervously.

"You know exactly what I mean. But you might not want me talking about it in public." She replied. I looked at her nervously, secretly hoping she wasn't talking about it. Shapeshifting. Just the fort, and the food. "Meet me in the forest outside of your house, after school." She told me. I looked away, maybe she didn't know, maybe she was joking, maybe she just, knew, maybe. I hope not.

I went to my next two classes thinking about her and shapeshifting. Too distracted that the teacher had call on me three times until I answered. "Peru!" I said.

"The correct answer is Argentina. You usually get these right, are you feeling alright?" Mr. Smith asked.

"I feeling great, thanks." I replied. The whole class snickered at me. I wished school could end. When school did end I got on my bike and crossed my fingers all the way home, hoping that she didn't know. When I got home I dropped my backpack on the floor and unpacked my school suppplies.

"Hey son, how was school?" Mama asked.

"It was fine, thanks." I replied.

"You going to head down to your fort again?"

"Yup", that was my best excuse. I headed out to door heading to the forest, thinking about what to say to her. The girl who knew my biggest and only secret. I think, I hope not. When I did get to the forest she had a big smile on her face.

"Now, what do you think I'm talking about. Why I waited here for you?" She asked. I shrugged, I wasn't going to tell her. That would be dumb of me unless she already knew, which I hope she didn't. She looked at me seriously. Then she leaned over and talk-whispered, "Foxes, and Falcons, different animals. Shapeshifting." I jumped back, nobody knew, and I didn't expect her to know. "Surprised, aren't you? I would be to." She said.

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I looked over at her. "What do you mean 'you would be to'?" I said. There was no possible way that there was anyone like me except in books and comics. Unless... nah. No way, not possible.

"Follow me." She walked into the forest signaling for me to follow. I followed her, realizing that maybe, just maybe, she could do what I do. I followed her past my fort and farther than I ever have gone. Then we entered a part of the forest I never even knew exsited. The trees were taller, the branches longer, and the dirt softer. She led me up to the tallest and thickest tree in the forest, and I could tell from down here. "We're here", she said. She walked up to the base of the tree and looked up. I followed her gaze up the tree and saw a giant, well built tree house.

"This is my tree house. Come on up." She said. She climbed up a ladder that hung down and I followed her up. When I got near the top she stuck out her hand and said, "You ready?" I took her hand and she pulled me up. When I stood up and looked around there were realistic drawings of animals everywhere, on the floor, on the walls, even on the ceiling, and there were pawprints of the animal beside them. Once I saw the pawprints next to all the drawings I knew that she could do what I could. I knew that she could shapeshift.

I looked at her with my mouth open wide. "You're like me, you can shapeshift too." I said.

"It took a while for you to realize it. I'm glad I'm not alone on this 'power'." She replied.

"Same here, but I'm wondering how you found out." I said.

"I was a falcon when I saw you. Definitly my favorite flying animal of all."

"Same as well. I didn't catch your name. What is it?"

"Hannah, and yours?"

"Trey. Thanks for telling me about this. See you at school tomorrow?"

"Sure, see you later." she said.

I left down the ladder smiling. There was someone out there like me. And I knew it. Once I knew I was out of her sights I changed into a falcon and flew high above the trees until I got near the edge of the forest and hid behind a tree. I turned back into a boy and headed back to the house, running with joy the whole way. Before I entered the house I lessened my smile back to normal so Mama and Daddy wouldn't suspect anything. Today changes everything, I told myself.